Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

A report released yesterday underlines the danger of Trasylol (aprotinin), which was used for years to limit bleeding during surgery. Trasylol was taken off the market last year after U.S. tests indicated the drug posed a significantly higher risk of death as opposed to other anti-bleeding drugs.

The new study, as reported by Forbes.com, includes an examination of Trasylol use in 49 randomized clinical trials, and also includes new information from the Blood Conservation Using Antifibrinolytics in a Randomized Trial (BART) study, published earlier this year. The findings of the new study, which was conducted by Canadian and Australian reserachers, will be published in the Jan. 20 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

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Bayer AG suspended worldwide sales of Trasylol, a clotting drug using during heart surgery to prevent bleeding, on Monday following a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to remove the drug from the American market for safety reasons.

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A conclusive study of Bayer AG’s aprotinin injection Trasylol uncovered a grim fact: one out of every 50 Trasylol recipients dies. The study was conducted in Canada and involved monitoring the health of 2,331 high-risk heart patients.

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The FDA announced today that Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. will begin removing all remaining supplies of the drug Trasylol (aprotinin) from warehouses and other medical stock. The decision comes following the preliminary results of a test that showed the drug greatly increased the risk of death. Trasylol is administered to patients undergoing heart surgery to slow bleeding and reduce or eliminate the need for blood transfusions.

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An article in this week’s Business Week reveals a dualistic Bayer. On one hand, the pharmaceutical giant is “flush with success,” with projected sales just shy of $50 billion and increased dividends for shareholders. On the other hand, Bayer has been racked by a sequence of bad luck that threatens to sully its future fiscal health and innovation. What are the elements at work behind this dichotomy?

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Joseph Randone was a healthy 52-year old family man from Long Island when he underwent heart valve replacement surgery at Stony Brook University Hopsital in New York. The risks were low, according to his surgeon. Joe would likely return home to recover after less than a week in the hospital.

Months later, Randone was still in the hospital fighting a losing battle for his life. The problem began during surgery, when Randone was hooked to an IV drip containing Trasylol for four hours.

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